title: Aging in the natural world: comparative data reveal similar mortality patterns across primates.
abstract: Human senescence patterns-late onset of mortality increase, slow mortality acceleration, and exceptional longevity-are often described as unique in the animal world. Using an individual-based data set from longitudinal studies of wild populations of seven primate species, we show that contrary to assumptions of human uniqueness, human senescence falls within the primate continuum of aging; the tendency for males to have shorter life spans and higher age-specific mortality than females throughout much of adulthood is a common feature in many, but not all, primates; and the aging profiles of primate species do not reflect phylogenetic position. These findings suggest that mortality patterns in primates are shaped by local selective forces rather than phylogenetic history.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bronikowski
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Altmann
authors.forename: Diane K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Brockman
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cords
authors.forename: Linda M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Fedigan
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pusey
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stoinski
authors.forename: William F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Karen B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Strier
authors.forename: Susan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Alberts
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D053819:Atelinae / Q000502:physiology; D002428:Cebus / Q000502:physiology; D002521:Cercopithecus / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006071:Gorilla gorilla / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009026:Mortality; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000502:physiology; D048548:Papio cynocephalus / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011323:Primates / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D011443:Strepsirhini / Q000502:physiology